Wake-Up Call

Week 7 of staying my ass at home and I’ve gotta say I’m finally at peace with it. And now that I’ve found

peace, I think I owe COVID-19 a little gratitude post and owe myself a post that I can go back and

reference as often as I need to remember how this changed me and the World forever.

I will remember the time that my health took priority over everything. So much so that I even started

going back to school to learn more about it.

I will remember the time that I didn’t think I could do it. I thought “you want ME to stay home?” The one

who never stays home; who constantly busied her life with endless tasks and activities.

I will remember the time that I was forced to look into that mirror and learn to appreciate my flaws,

confront my fears, and my truths. I learned to love my body without a gym, my face without makeup,

my unwaxed brows, my unmanicured nails, my untrimmed hair.

I will remember that time that I got to know my daughter and my husband in a new way. Remembered

why I said I do. Remembered why I became a mother.

I will remember taking pride in new crafts like cooking new meals, starting a garden, and even cutting

my husband’s hair!

I will remember learning to go inward, finding deep comfort in meditation, yoga, and my breath.

Comfort in stillness.

I will remember when I learned to feel all of my emotions as they arrived. I didn’t refrain from crying on

the phone with my boss or with a loved one. I howled at the moon, I laughed until I was laugh-less, I

screamed until I was breathless.

I will remember when people came together even when they were physically apart. The negative

political posts were less, people finally gave the appreciation for first responders and medical personnel

that they so deserved, people donated money, gave up their spot in the grocery store line for their

elders, and practiced kindness in a way the modern World hadn’t seen before.

I will remember this always, hold it close to my heart and pray that it doesn’t remain just a memory and

instead is the new way of life for myself and the World around me.

Thank you COVID-19 for the wakeup call.